Keep calm and Buc-ee on!

 

“Keep calm and Buc-ee on!”

 
Have you been to Buc-ee’s? If you haven’t, you’ve missed out. There’s a plan to open one in Wisconsin north of Madison in the near future.
  When you’re on a long road trip a stop at a gas station requires an evaluation of some vital questions: Does it look clean? Are the restrooms clean? If they’re not, am I up to date on my vaccinations? Does it look like Norman Bates might be the manager? (Okay, I never really ask that one).
  Buc-ee’s is the new national sensation of gas stations. The Texas-based supersized gas and convenience chain offers much more than a place to fuel up and grab some chips. Devoted fans make regular pilgrimages, sometimes driving hundreds of miles, to stock up on Beaver Nuggets and other merchandise. They hold records for the largest convenience store and longest car wash at 255 feet. Even their restrooms are award-winning.
  Founder Arch “Beaver” Aplin opened his first Buc-ee’s in Clute, Texas in 1982. The name came from combining his childhood nickname; the name of his Labrador Retriever, Buck; and Ipana toothpaste’s animated mascot, Bucky the beaver.
  Buc-ee’s is famous for their food. Each location includes a bakery, brisket and fudge bar, and an Icee station. Walls are lined with candy, beef jerky flavors, including a beef jerky bar. The bakery has about every cookie or pastry imaginable. There are BBQ brisket sandwiches, breakfast tacos/sandwiches, along with various others. Buc-ee’s is famous for its own original snacks – “Beaver Nuggets,” a flavored corn puff snack. It’s a bestseller with people driving hundreds of miles to stock up on them.
  All Buc-ee’s have nearly 100 gas pumps and even Tesla super chargers.  They also offer a wide variety of general and regional-based souvenirs, including apparel and artwork. They carry their own clothing brand, ranging from t-shirts, hats, pants, plushies, swimwear, and blankets. Some locations even sell hunting gear alongside outdoor products such as grills and firepits. In other words, Buc-ee’s has just about everything.
  Do you know the best part of Buc-ee’s? They’re so friendly! On our recent vacation we stopped at a Buc-ee’s in Kentucky around 1 am. Even at those wee hours, employees were friendly and upbeat. They thanked us for coming! Wow! Were we impressed! Not only was it clean and brightly lit, but it was like they actually wanted us there.
  Shouldn’t that be the local church? Shouldn’t that be us at Grace?
  When we’re on vacation we look for a church to worship at. Over the years our family has visited countless ones. Regrettably, some have not been a positive experience. If we lived in the area, we wouldn’t return.  
  In one a few years ago, I had to interrupt a conversation the man passing out bulletins was having to ask if I could have one. One of my unforgettable experiences was being encouraged in the service to pick up a gift for first timers at the Welcome Desk, only to find that they were already shutting it down (I went right away) and again had to interrupt a conversation to ask for the free gift the pastor had urged me to go get.
  My point is that it’s so easy to forget for those of us who have attended Grace for a long time how intimidating it can be to visit a church for the first time. It’s more difficult if you’ve never really attended church. Add to that the complexity if you have young children and are unsure what their experience will be (Where do they go? Will they be safe? Is it clean?)
  Then, with a growing national single population, you can feel like a 5^th wheel if you attend church by yourself. It’s estimated that 51% of Americans are single. They’re either divorced, widowed, or separated, or have always been single (never married).
  Sometimes you must experience something to understand it. It’s why I’d encourage you when you’re on vacation to visit a church. It can be eye-opening, hopefully in a great way, and you’ll come back bubbling with how you were treated as a special guest by another family of believers.
  At Grace, we are all part of the Welcome Team. Remember the “Golden Rule”? “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them” (Matthew 7:12). Think about how you’d want to be treated if you were visiting a church for the first time. You’d want to be welcomed. You’d want to know people care. Loneliness is an epidemic today. People need to know that we care…and we care because Jesus cares.
  Did you know where making new people feel welcome and wanted at our church begins? In the parking lot. It sets a whole tone of grace and friendliness. A few years ago, Dave and Jen Bonnar began attending Grace because the parking lot greeter connected with them. (Shameless ministry commercial – we desperately need more parking lot greeters).
  If you have children, you need to know that we have ministries for them. You need to know that they will be safe and cared for, that our ministries are well-staffed, and that we do background checks for the volunteers.  
  You’ll want to know that we have FREE coffee and treats. It’s cool if you take them into the sanctuary or sit in the coffee café to enjoy them. It’s why we want to make sure those first tables are open for our newcomers.
  Then, we want them to have the best seats. They usually want to sit close to the door and toward the back so that they can leave quickly. So, let’s fill up the east section or middle one first. Leave the end chair for them so they don’t have to crawl over you. Be careful about huddling or blocking the entry doors. It’s important to share your name and listen for their name…and more importantly, get their children’s names.  
  If Buc-ee’s can do such a great job of making people feel welcome to make a buck, shouldn’t we as a church family be doing that? What’s at stake for us isn’t the bottom line, it may be the destiny of a soul. It’s our mission and what Jesus called us to! But it can’t be a few. It takes all of us! Can we count on you? Let’s be better than Buc-ee’s!  

Can we help you spiritually? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address.